Reimold to begin season on DL

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Nolan Reimold, who will be officially placed on the 15-day disabled list to start the season, wants to be clear: This is not a new injury or another setback with which the outfielder has to deal. Instead, it's a move that will enable Reimold to get back to playing the field and the Orioles to have a fully healthy 25-man roster come Monday's Opening Day.

"I guess [it's] kind of a mutual decision," said Reimold, who was scratched from Wednesday's lineup and will have his DL stay backdated from there. "It's best for me, best for the team. I think it's best for everybody. From my point of view, it's important for me when I play, to play well and to finish strong rather than go out there and be in pain or uncomfortable early on. I think it's the right decision from everyone's point of view."

Reimold is coming off back-to-back neck surgeries, including a corrective fusion surgery after he was cleared to play too early the first time. He has played in 56 games combined the past two seasons, his last one coming July 13.

"I don't have a problem swinging," he said. "Obviously, I DHed and everything. It's playing the field early on, got pretty uncomfortable. But where I'm at right now, I've progressed very well and I'm far ahead of schedule for anybody who's had this kind of surgery before. But it's not side to side. It's more like extension and the constant grind and pounding that a baseball season would take on you. What we do is make sure I can play the field every day before I come back, just to make sure it's OK. I have to be certain that I can play."

Reimold is well aware of the injury-prone label he's been tagged with by fans and the general criticism that went with the news of him going on the DL.

"I'm more tired about talking about it than anybody," Reimold said. "I'm ready for these neck issues to be over and done with. If I look at it from where I'm at right now, I've progressed a lot from the beginning of Spring Training to now. So I will keep progressing and I'll be 100 percent in the near future."